How to Say ‘I see.’ in Japanese
そうでしたか。
sou deshi ta ka
💬 Usage Tip: [そうでしたか。] literally looks like "Was that so?" but it often means "I see" after hearing new information. It's a common reaction when taking in what someone just explained.
Phrase Breakdown
そう
sou
でした
deshi
was (polite past)
Past polite form of です. そうでしたか = “Oh, was that so?” (reacting to new info).
きのうは休みでした。
Yesterday was a day off.
Words in this phrase
でし
deshi
そう
sou
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